Mission and Vision

Our Mission & Vision

Mission

Our mission is to ensure that advanced knowledge about children and adolescents with special needs living in rural, remote and northern locations is disseminated effectively to those who need it most. This includes parents, children and youth, service providers, community groups, researchers, non-government organizations, federal, provincial and territorial governments, and all who can make a difference in the lives of children and adolescents with special needs.

Vision

After five years our Centre is known both nationally and internationally as a network that not only produces knowledge but puts that knowledge to work for children and adolescents with special needs living in rural and northern communities. Our work is helping to establish Canada as the world leader in research and program and policy development in this area. Our legacy includes the establishment of a permanent “policy community” for special needs in northern and rural Canada, a community that will live on long after the “official” term of the Health Canada Centre has ended.

The Centre of Excellence for Children &
Adolescents with Special Needs:

Our Centre of Excellence is committed to ensuring that young people with special needs living in rural and northern communities receive the best services Canada has to offer. Established in 2000, the Centre is located at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Our national partners are: Memorial University in Newfoundland, Mount St. Vincent University in Nova Scotia, University of Northern British Columbia and the Government of Nunavut. The Centre is also involved with over 30 community, government and corporate partners across Canada.